HAPPY NEW YEAR

Can you believe it is 2018! It's here to stay and I have been looking forward to it for a while actually. I have been wanting to get into my cross-stitch more than ever and getting involved in challenges to keep the ideas fresh and enticing.  So far this year I have had three (yes, count them three) new starts and they were the ones I was most excited about.  I will share them with you because they are all I've worked on this past week.  

Last year I had seen Sleepy Hollow stitched up by a few people and I fell in LOVE with this design from Glendon Place.  They had a wonderful sale for Black Friday I believe and I dove straight in and purchased fabric and all the specialty items because I have no idea where to get all of them from.  So one stop shop worked great for me.  Not only was this an amazing transaction it was also the best shipping I've ever had.  When this arrived I showed everyone (no one cared lol) because I was shocked they also signed it for me too.  

I couldn't hold out till New Year's Day so this became my 2017 New Year's Eve Start.  I think I will make this a habit every year.   Stitched on 28ct Haunted Cashel Linen by Picture this Plus 2/2 and I have enjoyed the progress so far.  

This is in my rotation this week and I will be doing and update on Sunday (hopefully) or you can see my daily updates on my Instagram @thepatientstitcher.  I seem to update that often because it helps me keep track of everything I do.  It is really a great resource to remember when you start something. 

So this leads to my "Official" starts for 2018.  I happen to love the Facebook Stitch Maynia site because it fills my head with notions ill finish EVERYTHING I purchase or I need to buy it or I see someone stitching something and I have to have it.  Well, they also have these amazing SAL's that the admins have set up which makes my stitching even more eventful and really is up my alley when it comes to change and setting goals. 

I have written each of them down so I can challenge myself to do them all and even if I don't like some of them I can think outside the box and still participate.  So many of my projects fit into challenges set forth in the Stitch Maynia SAL's.

New Year Start was Christmas in London by Mirabilia.  I have been dying to stitch this since I purchased it last year.  Mind you I have seen so many people stitch Mermaids and many other things and I have had no desire to stitch beautiful dresses and tails.  This pattern took me by surprise and spoke to me so now I own her and we are in love stitching together.  Before the end of the year I purchased the beads and the Krenik to be able to finish her.  Mind you I have never done beading or Krenik I am still old school, I have no idea what I got myself into because the beads were OMG a lot.  Well just this past week my Stitchy Stash came in and I am going to enjoy this beautiful masterpiece. I worked on her for five days and I was happy with my progress thus far.  She will be back in rotation as soon as I hear from my stitch partner who also bought it because I was showing it off.  I would love to work in it together so we will see when she comes up again.  

I have told you that I recently started stitching again after about 20 years of not touching a dang thing.  I can't remember what exactly got me back into it but as I do with anything I dove in head first and started my stash up real good.  I do believe seeing the Heaven and Earth Designs got me back into it and I couldn't believe there was no back stitching or anything just plain ole cross stitch.  So of course I dove right in and purchased way to many that I will never get a chance to stitch but one never knows.  Right!?  For my HAED start I choose the Old World Map because my husband thought it was very beautiful.  So New Years Day I put in my first 200 stitches and I was more than elated with the progress.  This piece is a confetti heaven piece, not that I am loving that part but I am loving my progress.  I do only rotate my HEAD on weekends because that is when I seem to have more time to stitch but I think this one will be in a weekly rotation at least once a month because I love it that much.  This past weekend I put 1000 stitches in and I was excited to see a little cherub take form.  

I don't just stitch at home, I feel idle time is a bit boring so I also have a lunch project that I just keep at work and when I get a chance I work on it.  I have been working this one for a while now but it's slowly coming along.  Amid Amish Life was released in sections in Cross Stitch & Country Crafts in July/Aug 1987.  I had all of these magazines way back when but life throws you curve balls and I eventually got rid of everything.  This past summer I was in a second hand store reminiscing about all those cross stitch magazine I once had and this piece hit my heart again.  I bought all of those magazines and my love began once again.  I have been stitching this since summer and here is the progress I have made since then.  My goal is to finish this in 2018 so we will see how it goes. 

I feel like this post is going to take forever and I can't believe I have worked on so many projects since my last post but I'm not done.  I also worked on the Class Schedule SAL to hopefully have at least a boarder done before the release of January's block.  It was fun to play catch up and was fun to banter with all of the other stitchers as to what will be the first release.  I have yet to stitch January's block so I will work on that this week and post progress next weekend.  But here is what she looks like so far.  Stitched on 32 Ct Lugana in Phantom by Picture this Plus.

The last thing that I believe I need to confess is I am working on my Stitch from Stash 2018 and I am no not good at this.  I was doing great until the 2nd of January when I see this AMAZING SAL that is being done and I was in a trance and only took 2 seconds to spend $18 of my $25 this month.  I did keep myself under control because I did have about $60 worth of merchandise and saved it all for later so I didn't overspend.  I should get extra money for self control. 

So here is my totals so far.

Purchases - Guardians of Notre Dame Mystery Stitch Along $18

No Finishes at this time

Money left to spend $7 I think I can handle this we will see. I am hoping to carry most over for a few months to purchase new fabric for a few projects later this spring. 

Until this weekend Happy Stitching all.   I hope you all find your stitchy place and have some fabric fun and enjoy the moment.  

Carey